The brewing of beer can be deemed a science. In some instances scientific, or at least, rarely used, terminology is
used in the beer making process. So before we can look at the process of brewing beer, it is important to review the
most common terms used in brewing. This glossary is also contained within the course notes.
Brewing Glossary
Term
Description
Acetaldehyde
Green apple aroma, a by-product of fermentation.
Additive
Enzymes, preservatives and antioxidants which are added to simplify the brewing
process or prolong shelf life.
Adjunct
Fermentable material used as a substitute for traditional grains, to make beer lighterbodied or cheaper.
Aerobic
An organism, such as top fermenting ale yeast, that needs oxygen to metabolize.
Alcohol
Ethyl alcohol or ethanol. An intoxicating by-product of fermentation, which is caused by
yeast acting on sugars in the malt. Alcohol content is expressed as a percentage of
volume or weight.
Alcohol by weight
Amount of alcohol in beer measured in terms of the percentage weight of alcohol per
volume of beer, i.e., 3.2% alcohol by weights equals 3.2 grams of alcohol per 100
centilitres of beer. (It is approximately 20% less than alcohol by volume.)
Alcohol by volume
Amount of alcohol in beer in terms of percentage volume of alcohol per volume of beer.
Alcoholic
Warming taste of ethanol and higher alcohol's.
Ale
Beers distinguished by use of top fermenting yeast strains, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
The top fermenting yeast perform at warmer temperatures than do yeast's used to brew
lager beer, and their by-products are more evident in taste and aroma. Fruitiness and
esters are often part of an ale's character.
All-malt
A relatively new term in America. "All malt" refers to a beer made exclusively with
barley malt and without adjuncts.
Amber
Any top or bottom fermented beer having an amber color, that is, between pale and
dark.
Anaerobic
An organism, such as a bottom-fermenting lager yeast, that is able to metabolize
without oxygen present.
Aroma Hops
Varieties of hop chosen to impart bouquet. (See Hops)
Astringent
A drying, puckering taste; tannic; can be derived from boiling the grains, long mashes,
over sparging with hard water.
Attenuation
Extent to which yeast consumes fermentable sugars (converting them into alcohol and
carbon dioxide).
Bacterial
A general term covering off-flavours such as mouldy, musty, woody, lactic acid, vinegar,
or microbiological spoilage.
Balling Degrees
Scale indicating density of sugars in wort (see wort). Devised by C J N Balling.
Barley
A cereal grain that is malted for use in the grist (see grist) that becomes the mash in
the brewing of beer.
Barrel
A unit of measurement used by brewers in some countries. In Britain, a barrel holds 36
imperial gallons (1 imperial gallon = 4.5 litres), or 1.63 hectolitres. In the United States,
a barrel holds 31.5 US gallons (1 US gallon = 3.8 litres), or 1.17 hectolitres.
Beer
Name given alcohol-containing beverages produced by fermenting grain, specifically
malt, and flavoured with hops.
Bitter
Bitterness of hops or malt husks; sensation on back of tongue.
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Bitterness
The perception of a bitter flavour, in beer from iso-alpha-acid in solution (derived from
hops). It is measured in International Bitterness Units (IBU).
Black malt
Partially malted barley roasted at high temperatures. Black malt gives a dark colour and
roasted flavour to beer.
Body
Thickness and mouth-filling property of a beer described as "full or thin bodied".
Bottle-conditioning
Secondary fermentation and maturation in the bottle, creating complex aromas and
flavours.
Bottom-fermenting
yeast
One of the two types of yeast used in brewing. Bottom-fermenting yeast works well at
low temperatures and ferments more sugars leaving a crisp, clean taste and then settles
to the bottom of the tank. Also referred to as "lager yeast".
Brewhouse
The collective equipment used to make beer.
Brew Kettle
The vessel in which wort from the mash is boiled with hops. Also called a copper.
Brewpub
Pub that makes its own beer and sells at least 50% of it on premises. Also known in
Britain as a home-brew house and in Germany as a house brewery.
Bright Beer Tank
See conditioning tank.
Bung
The stopper in the hole in a keg or cask through which the keg or cask is filled and
emptied. The hole may also be referred to as a bung or bunghole. Real beer must use a
wooden bung.
Butterscotch
See diacetyl.
Cabbage like
Aroma and taste of cooked vegetables; often a result of wort spoilage bacteria killed by
alcohol in fermentation.
CAMRA
The Campaign for Real Ale. An organization in England that was founded in 1971 to
preserve the production of cask-conditioned beers and ales.
Carbonation
Sparkle/ bubbles caused by carbon dioxide, either created during fermentation or
injected later.
Caramel
A cooked sugar that is used to add colour and alcohol content to beer. It is often used
in place of more expensive malted barley.
Caramel malt
A sweet, coppery-coloured malt. Caramel or crystal malt imparts both colour and flavour
to beer. Caramel malt has a high concentration of un-fermentable sugars that sweeten
the beer and, contribute to head retention on the beer
Cask
A closed, barrel-shaped container for beer. They come in various sizes and are now
usually made of metal. The bung in a cask of "Real" beer or ale must be made of wood
to allow the pressure to be relived, as the fermentation of the beer, in the cask,
continues.
Cask-conditioning
Secondary fermentation and maturation in the cask at the point of sale. Creates light
carbonation.
Chlorophenolic
A plastic like aroma; caused by chemical combination of chlorine and organic
compounds.
Chill haze
Cloudiness caused by precipitation of protein-tannin compound at low temperatures,
does not affect flavour.
Chill proof
Beer treated to allow it to withstand cold temperatures without clouding.
Clove like
Spicy character reminiscent of cloves; characteristic of some wheat beers, or if
excessive, may derive from wild yeast.
Conditioning
Period of maturation intended to impart "condition" (natural carbonation). Warm
conditioning further develops the complex of flavours. Cold conditioning imparts a clean,
round taste.
Conditioning Tank
A vessel, in which beer is placed after primary fermentation where the beer matures,
clarifies and, is naturally carbonated through secondary fermentation. Also called bright
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beer tank, serving tank and, secondary tank.
Contract Beer
Beer made by one brewery and then marketed by a company calling itself a brewery.
The latter uses the brewing facilities of the former.
Copper
See brew kettle.
Decoction
Exhaustive system of mashing in which portions of the wort are removed, heated, then
returned to the original vessel.
Dextrin
The un-fermentable carbohydrate produced by the enzymes in barley. It gives the beer
flavour, body, and mouth feel (see mouth feel). Lower temperatures produce more
dextrin and less sugar. While higher temperatures produce more sugars and less
dextrin.
Diacetyl
A volatile compound in beer that contributes to a butterscotch flavour, measured in
parts per million.
DMS
Taste and aroma of sweet corn; results from malt, as a result of the short or weak boil
of the wort, slow wort chilling, or bacterial infection. -- Dimethyl sulfide, a sulfur
compound.
Dosage
The addition of yeast and/or sugar to the cask or bottle to aid secondary fermentation.
Draft (Draught)
The process of dispensing beer from a bright tank, cask or, keg, by hand pump,
pressure from an air pump or, injected carbon dioxide inserted into the beer container
prior to sealing.
Dry-hopping
The addition of dry hops to fermenting or aging beer to increase its hop character or
aroma.
EBC
European Brewing Convention. An EBC scale is used to indicate colours in malts and
beers.
Enzymes
Catalysts that are found naturally in the grain. When heated in mash, they convert the
starches of the malted barley into maltose, a sugar used in solution and fermented to
make beer.
Ester
Volatile flavour compound naturally created in fermentation. Often fruity, flowery or
spicy.
Estery
Aroma or flavour reminiscent of flowers or fruits.
Fahrenheit (degrees)
F = (Celsius x9 / 5)+ 32.
Fermentation
Conversion of sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, through the action of yeast.
Final specific gravity
Specific gravity of a beer when fermentation is complete (that is, all fermentable sugars
have been fermented).
Fining
An aid to clarification: a substance that attracts particles that would otherwise remain
suspended in the brew.
Filter
The removal of designated impurities by passing the wort through a medium,
sometimes made of diatomaceous earth (made up of the microscopic skeletal remains
of marine animals). Yeast in suspension is often targeted for removal.
Fruity/Estery
Flavour and aroma of bananas, strawberries, apples, or other fruit; from high
temperature fermentation and certain yeast strains.
Grainy
Tastes like cereal or raw grain.
Gravity
See specific gravity.
Grist
Brewers' term for milled grains, or the combination of milled grains to be used in a
particular brew. Derives from the verb to grind. Also sometimes applied to hops.
Hand Pump
A device for dispensing draft beer using a pump operated by hand. The use of a hand
pump allows the cask-conditioned beer to be served without the use of pressurized
carbon dioxide.
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Hang
Lingering bitterness or harshness.
Hard Cider
A fermented beverage made from apples.
Heat Exchanger
A mechanical device used to rapidly reduce the temperature of the wort.
Hefe
A German word meaning "yeast". Used mostly in conjunction with wheat (weiss) beers
to denote that the beer is bottled or kegged with the yeast in suspension (hefe-weiss).
These beers are cloudy, frothy and, very refreshing.
Hogshead
Cask holding 54 imperial gallons (243 litres ).
Hop back
Sieve-like vessel used to strain out the petals of the hop flowers. Known as a hop jack
in the United States.
Hops
Herb added to boiling wort or fermenting beer to impart a bitter aroma and flavour.
Hoppy
Aroma of hops, does not include hop bitterness.
Infusion
Simplest form of mash, in which grains are soaked in water. May be at a single
temperature, or with upward or (occasionally) downward changes in temperature.
IBU
International Bitterness units. A system of indicating the hop bitterness in finished beer.
Keg
One-half barrel or 15.5 U. S. gallons. A half keg or, 7.75 U. S. gallons, is referred to as a
pony-keg.
Kr�usening
The addition of a small proportion of partly fermented wort to a brew during lagering.
Stimulates secondary fermentation and imparts a crisp, spritzy character.
Lager
Beers produced with bottom fermenting yeast strains, Saccharomyces uvarum (or
carlsbergensis) at colder fermentation temperatures than ales. This cooler environment
inhibits the natural production of esters and other by products, creating a crisper tasting
product.
Lagering
From the German word for storage. Refers to maturation for several weeks or months
at cold temperatures (close to 0�C /32�F) to settle residual yeast, impart carbonation
and make for clean round flavours.
Lauter
To run the wort from the mash tun (see mash tun). From the German word to clarify. A
lauter tun is a separate vessel to do this job. It uses a system of sharp rakes to achieve
a very intensive extraction of malt sugars.
Lauter Tun
See mash tun.
Length
The amount of wort brewed each time the brew house is in operation.
Light-Struck
Skunk like smell; from exposure to light.
Liquor
The brewer's word for water used in the brewing process, as included in the mash or,
used to sparge the grains after mashing.
Malt (ing)
The process by which barley is steeped in water, germinated ,then kilned to convert
insoluble starch to soluble substances and sugar. The foundation ingredient of beer.
Malt Extract
The condensed wort from a mash, consisting of maltose, dextrins and, other dissolved
solids. Either as a syrup or powdered sugar, it is used by brewers, in solutions of water
and extract, to reconstitute wort for fermentation.
Malt Liquor
A legal term used in the U.S. to designate a fermented beverage of relatively high
alcohol content (7%-8% by volume).
Mash
(Verb) To release malt sugars by soaking the grains in water. (Noun) The resultant
mixture.
Mash Tun
A tank where grist is soaked in water and heated in order to convert the starch to sugar
and extract the sugars and other solubles from the grist.
Maltose
A water soluble, fermentable sugar contained in malt.
Mead
Meads are produced by the fermentation of honey, water, yeast and optional
ingredients such as fruit, herbs, and/or spices. According to final gravity, they are
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categorized as: dry (0.996 to 1009); medium (1010 to 1019); or sweet (1020 or
higher). Wine, champagne, sherry, mead, ale or lager yeasts may be used.
Medicinal
Chemical or phenolic character; can be the result of wild yeast, contact with plastic, or
sanitizer residue.
Metallic
Tastes tinny, bloodlike or coin like; may come from contact with bottle caps.
Microbrewery
Small brewery generally producing less than 15,000 barrels per year. Sales primarily off
premises.
Mouthfeel
A sensation derived from the consistency or viscosity of a beer, described, for example
as thin or full.
Musty
Mouldy, mildewy character; can be the result of cork or bacterial infection.
Original gravity
A measurement of the density of fermentable sugars in a mixture of malt and water
with which a brewer begins a given batch.
Oxidized
Stale flavour of wet cardboard, paper, rotten pineapple, or sherry, as a result of oxygen
as the beer ages or is exposed to high temperatures.
Pasteurization
Heating of beer to 60-79C/(140-174F) to stabilize it microbiologically. Flashpasteurization is applied very briefly, for 15-60 seconds by heating the beer as it passes
through the pipe. Alternately, the bottled beer can be passed on a conveyor belt
through a heated tunnel. This more gradual process takes at least 20 minutes and
sometimes much longer.
Phenolic
Flavour and aroma of medicine, plastic, Band-Aids, smoke, or cloves; caused by wild
yeast or bacteria, or sanitizer residue.
Pitch
To add yeast to wort.
Plato, degrees
Expresses the specific gravity as the weight of extract in a 100 gram solution at 64F
(17.5C). Refinement of the Balling scale.
Priming
The addition of sugar at the maturation stage to promote a secondary fermentation.
Pub
An establishment that serves beer and sometimes other alcoholic beverages for
consumption on premise. The term originated in England and is the shortened form of
"public house".
Publican
The owner or manager of a pub.
Regional specialty
brewery
A brewery that produces more than 15,000 barrels of beer annually, with its largest
selling product a specialty beer.
Reinheitsgebot
"Purity Law" originating in Bavaria in 1516 and now applied to all German brewers
making beer for consumption in their own country. It requires that only malted grains,
hops, yeast and water may be used in the brewing.
Saccharomyces
cerevisiae
See Top-fermenting yeast.
Saccharomyces uvarum
See Bottom-fermenting yeast.
Saccharomyces
carlsbergensis
See Bottom-fermenting yeast.
Salty
Flavour like table salt; experienced on the side of the tongue. Can be caused by
carbonation.
Secondary fermentation
Stage of fermentation occurring in a closed container from several weeks to several
months.
Shelf life
Describes the number of days a beer will retain its peak drinkability. The shelf life for
commercially produced beers is usually a maximum of four months.
Solventlike
Reminiscent of acetone or lacquer thinner; caused by high fermentation temperatures.
Sour/Acidic
Vinegar like or lemon like; can be caused by bacterial infection.
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Specific gravity
A measure of the density of a liquid or solid compared to that of water ((1.000 at 39F
(4C)).
Sparge
To spray grist with hot water in order to remove soluble sugars (maltose). This takes
place at the end of the mash.
Squares
Brewers' term for a square fermenting vessel.
Sweet
Taste like sugar; experienced on the front of the tongue. Usually caused by malt.
Sulfurlike
Reminiscent of rotten eggs or burnt matches; a by-product of some yeast's.
Tart
Taste sensation cause by acidic flavours.
Terminal gravity
Synonym for final specific gravity.
Top-fermenting yeast
One of the two types of yeast used in brewing. Top-fermenting yeast works better at
warmer temperatures and are able to tolerate higher alcohol concentrations than
bottom-fermenting yeast. It is unable to ferment some sugars, and results in a fruitier,
sweeter beer. Also known as "ale yeast".
Tun
Any large vessels used in brewing. In America, "tub" is often preferred.
Units of bitterness
See IBU.
Vinous
Reminiscent of wine.
Winy
Sherry like flavour; can be caused by warm fermentation or oxidation in very old beer.
Wort
The solution of grain sugars strained from the mash tun. At this stage, regarded as
"sweet wort", later as brewed wort, fermenting wort and finally beer.
Wort Chiller
See heat exchanger.
Yeast
A micro-organism of the fungus family. Genus Saccharomyces.
Yeasty
Yeast like flavour; a result of yeast in suspension or beer sitting too long on sediment.
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